Disposable oil filters, for example of the type commonly used on automotive engines, and other similar disposable items, have created a disposal problem. These items typically occupy a relatively large volume for the amount of solid materials which they contain and may contain an environmentally hazardous liquid, such as waste oil.
In some parts of the country, waste oil filters are now mandatorily recycled. However, whether oil filters are recycled or not, it is desirable to reduce their volume by collapsing or crushing them and to drain them of the majority of environmentally hazardous liquids which they contain.
To accomplish this purpose, a relatively large force is required to crush the oil filter axially. As is well known, oil filters of the automotive type are typically in the general shape of a cylindrical can. Crushing is usually accomplished by reducing the length of the can along the cylinder axis. For example, a four or five inch tall oil filter may typically be crushed to a height of one inch or less without appreciably changing the diameter of the filter. A large force is required because the diameter of the filter is typically about 3 to 4 inches and the filter is typically made of structurally rigid materials such as steel.
As a container such as an oil filter is crushed in this manner, the majority of liquid within the container is squeezed out. Therefore, a device for crushing such containers must be able to drain the liquids away from the container as the container is being crushed. These functions must be combined in a low cost, reliable and easy to use crusher.